BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 I’m sure many of you already know these cars. I however, recently discovered them and I’m really blown away with their over the top size of wheels, tires and engines. I was hoping perhaps some of you would like to share experiences with them or knowledge of them. Really cool cars that I will never own. How many are known to exist now anyway? Does anyone know? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Tim Ohlendorf in (I think) New England is an expert on these. He's also a friend of Steve Moskowitz, our C. E. O. of the AACA. I hope Steve will see this and, with his Oldsmobile expertise, give some insights. Photographs often don't give a full idea of the huge scale of these cars. You need a person standing next to one to get a good idea of the size. For example, the back of the back seat is at shoulder height to the average man. The top of the rear fender may be at shoulder height to the average woman. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Thanks for bringing up the subject, Bob. This should be an interesting topic! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 2 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said: Thanks for bringing up the subject, Bob. This should be an interesting topic! Thanks for replying! I’m learning a lot about the brass and nickel era. I just turned 47 and I know the 1955 thru 1987 stuff well. The early cars pre 1930 are truly a mystery to many my age or younger. Especially regarding the history and engineering of them. Several people may know the cut bodies for hot rods but I’m interested in the totality of their history. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) The are easily $1Mil cars if it is the car that I am thinking about. The GM Heritage Center has one and it is impressive. Do I remember seeing one at the AACA Headquarters some time ago? History here. https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/2149/Oldsmobile-Limited-Touring.html Edited March 25 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Even if you don't own an early car, or aspire to own one, the history is very interesting. My 1916 Locomobile is about 6'9" high, and the catalogue extols their "low" stature. Cars were getting lower even then. I understand the Olds Limited cars to be about 8-and-a-half feet tall! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 I read 800 were made over the production run. Is there any estimate to how many are left? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstatman Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Visited the Netherutt Collection in 2007 and was quite impressed with their Olds Limited. Pleaae forgive the quality of the photos.. 8 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 1 minute ago, John_S_in_Penna said: Even if you don't own an early car, or aspire to own one, the history is very interesting. My 1916 Locomobile is about 6'9" high, and the catalogue extols their "low" stature. Cars were getting lower even then. I understand the Olds Limited cars to be about 8-and-a-half feet tall! Such a departure from the overpriced mold injected plastic of today! I love it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) 2 minutes ago, BobinVirginia said: I read 800 were made over the production run. Is there any estimate to how many are left? 117 were made and it is thought that only 13 are remaining.. https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/2149/Oldsmobile-Limited-Touring.html Edited March 25 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 @Ozstatman WOW!! Thanks for sharing! That’s artwork on many levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 2 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said: 117 were made and it is thought that only 13 are remaining.. https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/2149/Oldsmobile-Limited-Touring.html Ok, perhaps i recalled the number wrong. Given such stature the number of 117 seems to fit better. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 @Larry Schramm I just found a number that states only 13 survive. Do you have any knowledge of that number? I did see a survivor car that was displayed at the AACA museum around 2009-10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 6 minutes ago, BobinVirginia said: @Larry Schramm I just found a number that states only 13 survive. Do you have any knowledge of that number? I did see a survivor car that was displayed at the AACA museum around 2009-10 The 117 number seems to be a more reasonable number, but here is another article that says that there were 800 made. https://www.supercars.net/blog/1910-oldsmobile-limited/ When the GM Heritage Center opens back up after the move, they would be able to help with the exact number, or maybe Steve Moskowitz. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29 Chandler Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) Here’s a picture of the Limited at the Reno National Automotive Museum and the 1910 painting that was commissioned by Olds I know there is another 1911 Limited in a private collection in Southern CA that some of us got to see today but it was not out for display. Edited March 25 by 29 Chandler (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
13Caddy2 Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 8 years ago or so,there were about 5 being reproduced-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 4 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said: The 117 number seems to be a more reasonable number, but here is another article that says that there were 800 made. https://www.supercars.net/blog/1910-oldsmobile-limited/ When the GM Heritage Center opens back up after the move, they would be able to help with the exact number, or maybe Steve Moskowitz. That’s the article I had read while trying to educate myself. I don’t put much faith in internet information and still believe the 117 numbers are more appropriate for such a car at that time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 1 minute ago, 13Caddy2 said: 8 years ago or so,there were about 5 being reproduced-- Now that’d be fun to do. My question is, how do you title such a recreation? I’d love to recreate something but how to get around modern safety and emission bs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
13Caddy2 Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 the amount of safety stuff required depends on the year of the car, which in ky. is nothing--seat belts, na--wipers na--horns na.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 Just now, 13Caddy2 said: the amount of safety stuff required depends on the year of the car, which in ky. is nothing--seat belts, na--wipers na--horns na.. So if you fabricate a replica it’s withholding to the standards of the original time period? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
13Caddy2 Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 yes,at least in ky.--I built a 12 wooden t town car--all they said to me was pretty car--check with your title dept-- 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Gariepy Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 @Steve Moskowitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 In most states, a recreation legally is a new car and MUST adhere to ALL modern safety and emission standards! People do get around that by using (or only claiming?) one or a few small pieces of an original and calling it a restoration. I have heard of a few Bugatti automobiles built from one small piece from an original. I knew a fellow that had a real one and boy did he hate the fakes! I also knew of a Curved Dash Oldsmobile that was "restored" from a single hubcap. Again, I didn't know the car or its owner, but a couple owners of real ones I did know told me about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 3 minutes ago, wayne sheldon said: In most states, a recreation legally is a new car and MUST adhere to ALL modern safety and emission standards! People do get around that by using (or only claiming?) one or a few small pieces of an original and calling it a restoration. I have heard of a few Bugatti automobiles built from one small piece from an original. I knew a fellow that had a real one and boy did he hate the fakes! I also knew of a Curved Dash Oldsmobile that was "restored" from a single hubcap. Again, I didn't know the car or its owner, but a couple owners of real ones I did know told me about it. Man, that’s an expensive slippery slope. I can’t afford the original in several cases but it’d be nice to build a recreation. However, not at the detriment of the originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 47 minutes ago, 29 Chandler said: Here’s a picture of the Limited at the Reno National Automotive Museum and the 1910 painting that was commissioned by Olds I know there is another 1911 Limited in a private collection in Southern CA that some of us got to see today but it was not out for display. A reprint of that painting would be epic man cave material. Are any available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusty Trucker Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 1 hour ago, BobinVirginia said: A reprint of that painting would be epic man cave material. Are any available? Copies come up infrequently at auction such as this chromolithograph: Copake Auction Inc. Apr. 13, 2019 Early Oldsmobile Chromolithograph Advertising Est: $200 - $300 Early Oldsmobile Chromolithograph advertising. Artwork by William Harnden Foster (1886-1941), marked 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 I have been near two of the big Oldsmobile Limited automobiles, the one pictured above from Harrah's collection, and another one at a HCCA tour many years ago which was probably also Harrah's although I did not know it at the time. I had gone to the tour hotel just to look at the cars. Recreating one of those monsters and doing a good job of it could cost nearly as much as buying one if one became available. The Bugatti and CDO cars are common and desirable enough that some of the most important parts have been reproduced to replace original parts broken beyond repair. People that really KNOW? Know where some of those parts are. I do NOT know where those parts are hidden. Someone about thirty or more years ago cast the CDO's engine to replace several for cars that otherwise would never see the road again. That I was told was what went into the CDO replica I was told about. Twenty years ago, I heard a few of the engine castings were still unused and hidden away. I do not know if any are around now or not. Other than the engine casings themselves, most of the CDO can be replicated in a good home garage shop or ordered through available sources. The big Oldsmobile Limited on the other hand? One could probably spend more than a quarter million just replicating the engine, and another hundred grand or more for the transmission! (I know someone that made a one-off transmission case for a rare big expensive late brass era car because the original disintegrated due to faulty original casting. Thirty years ago, the final cost for the case alone was over $30,000!) The rest of the car was a beautiful restoration of a fantastic automobile that hadn't been usable for years because the original casting had been welded back together numerous times already. A number of other brass era cars have been nicely recreated, and nicely enough that the recreation is hard to tell apart from the real thing. But the Oldsmobile Limited is not a candidate for such an effort. The car is too complicated, and too high a quality common of its era. Bad recreations adapting available parts from trucks and later cars never come out looking decent. I have seen photos of a couple different "tribute" creations of the Marmon Indianapolis racing car. Sorry and I hope nobody reads this and is offended by it? But they looked so bad that I wouldn't want to be seen within a hundred feet of the (I use the term loosely) cars! Most firetruck "super speedsters" are the same way. Most of them are so bad that I wouldn't have one if it was offered to me for free but I had to keep it. (Okay, maybe I am a snob?) But I love a common real model T. Certain recreations, properly done? I love them. The "Beast of Turin"? I love it. I followed its building on "The Old Motor" website for a couple years. How else can we today see and hear some incredible creation that no longer exists? Be honest about what it is and share the experience! There are thousands of absolutely incredible automobiles that one can own if they can afford it. Why waste the time and money recreating "another" any of a hundred great cars when for less money one can have a "real" one of several incredible cars? That is some of my thought line. By the way Bob (in Virginia), Getting work done on the Haynes lately? THAT is a car worthy of your efforts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 @wayne sheldon To be very clear. I have no interest whatsoever in trying to copy one of these cars. When it was mentioned that others had tried to copy them I questioned how it would be possible to title such a car. Then the discussion left the Olds and steered off course. It would be fun if I had endless money and time to resurrect an extinct vehicle. Maybe? IDK? I would just like to know more about the big cars and hear about them. Hopefully the thread stays on that from here on! Lol The Haynes has happily had some progress. After years of delays thanks to everything from the pandemic, surgery, work and family commitments finally it’s starting. I’m lucky to have time for it much less a scratch built car. Thanks for the discussion and I often find subjects of which people are very passionate about within these forum topics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexRiv_63 Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 These are magnificent cars. One of my favorite features is the two-level running board. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzBob Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Impressive. 👍 By the looks of the two feet on the bottom of the headlamps, looks like they can be removed and used as backup lighting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) Here is one at St. John's in 2018. The folks around it lend to the scale of the beast. Edited March 25 by Brass is Best (see edit history) 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Prototype that was on display at the AACA Library 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Harrah's and the AACA collection. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 The Detroit Historical Museum has one which I recall being a dark green roadster or touring. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 (edited) Unbelievable Cars! Thank you all so much for pics! It’s surreal that these were actually a dealer option car at one time!!! Edited March 26 by BobinVirginia (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 The massive engines are interesting too. They seem to be in a league with Pierce Arrow? Can anyone speak of the comparisons? Most people like myself assumed early cars were small cubic inch cars like Model T’s Ohhh boy was I wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRA Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 The two steps running board is really quite interesting. What is the tire size of such car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 1 hour ago, JRA said: What is the tire size of such car? Huge! 43x5 as per the tire. Craig 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 On 3/24/2024 at 11:34 PM, Crusty Trucker said: Copies come up infrequently at auction such as this chromolithograph: Copake Auction Inc. Apr. 13, 2019 Early Oldsmobile Chromolithograph Advertising Est: $200 - $300 Early Oldsmobile Chromolithograph advertising. Artwork by William Harnden Foster (1886-1941), marked That auction house is about a mile across the fields from the farm here. Mike Fallon is the owner. Use to be Folgers Auction when I was a young lad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 (edited) 1 hour ago, 8E45E said: Huge! 43x5 as per the tire. Craig Seems to me the one at the GM Heritage Center has 37" rims. I have a rim out in the barn. Does that mean I can build a fake from it? I got it thinking it was a 36" that would fit my 1915 Buick. After getting it I found it was a 37" Baker rim. Edited March 26 by Dandy Dave (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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